Hypodermic syringe unit



Nov. 6, 1956 E. HENDERSON HYPODERMIC SYRINGE! UNIT Filed y 17, 1952 INVENTOR. Edward flenderson rng United States atent X TQD RMI SL RJ NGEv UNIT Edward- Henderson, Montclair, N. J. Applica tjpn May 17, 1952, Serial No. 283,422 11 Claims. (Cl. 128-9216) inventionrelates to. an improvement in hypodermic svri ge units and relates. particularly to hypodermic syringesthat are adapted. tobe furnished as sealed, sterile unitsalreadvloadeld with medicines, antitoxins, opiates and the like. Many useful medicines are unstable when stored Over a p r d Q me parti ula ly i o ut o For stance, watersoluble potassium penicillin Gis quite stable in dry form and may be stored for long periods of time without.- deterioration or loss of potency. However, in the presence of moisture or in a water solution its activity iulost rather quickly.

object of this invention is to provide a complete unit in which the medicine or similar substance may be kept in dry-form. until itis ready foruse. There are certain drugs which, are stable enough when dissolved in a suitable solvent but which may change rapidly in character or deteriorate if combined with anbther drug in solution. With the presentinvention the drugs may be kept separated until ready for use when an aqueous solution can be formed.

A further advantage of my invention is that I provide a disposable syringe which is not subject to pilfering and which will promptly show whether or not the unit has been tampered with for the purpose of pilfering the active drug. One of the great difliculties encountered by the armed forces in the use of disposable syringe units heretofore available is that the solution can be pilfered. The morphine in solution may be removed from the disposable syringe and refilled with some inert liquid such as water. With my improved syringe the person administering the drug can instantly determine whether the unit has been tampered with.

My syringe is made of a flexible or compressible barrel preferably of transparent material. There are a number of suitable materials such as polyethylene available for such use. Briefly, my improvement consists in providing a frangible hollow ball or capsule of any convenient shape made of glass or suitable plastic containing the medicine in dry powder or liquid form. The flexible or compressible barrel of the syringe unit may contain fluid solvent for the medicine with the capsule or ball either suspended or floating in the fluid, affixed to the inner wall of the barrel or otherwise attached. At the time of use the frangible container may be crushed by the fingers, and shaking the unit will dissolve the dry powder in the solvent contained in the barrel or will form a common solution with the fluid contained in the barrel to provide an aqueous solution of the dry powder or a common solution of the two liquids.

Further advantages will become apparent from the drawings and the accompanying description.

In the drawings Fig. 1 is an elevation in cross-section showing the syringe as completely packed.

Fig. 2 is a view showing the syringe ready for use.

Fig. 3 is a detailed View partly in section of a suitable form of capsule.

Fig. 4. is a sectional view showing a modification thereof.

Fig. 5 is a view partly in section showing a further modification.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, 1 provide a syringe body it made of resilient transparent rubbery material such as, for example, a rubbery polyethylene material. With material of this type the syringe units are capable of withstanding shock without breaking.

Mounted in the hub 12 is a needle 11. The hub 12 may be compressed at 13 to seize and firmly hold the butt of the needle. I provide a cap 14 with a cavity 15 to engage the hub 12 and an opening 16 to accommodate the needle. The cavity 16 may be slightly shorter than the needle so that the needle is imbedded in the cap, or the cap. may be compressed at 18 to seal the end of'the. needle and prevent any accidental leakage. The capsule 2.4 may be made of any frangible material and may be of any suitable shape. While I have shown my capsule in the form of a ball, it will be understood that this is purely for the purpose of illustration and that the capsule may be elongated or oval in shape. Where glass is used the glass shell 2,1 may be covered with cloth 22 or other material to act as a filter which will keep the broken glass from clogging the needle or spreading through the solution.

When the syringe is assembled the solvent 25 and the capsule are inserted through the end 17 of the syringe, and this is then sealed by heat or adhesive. As previously stated, when the syringe is to be used the capsule maybe fractured by compression, the materials mixed and the cap removed.

in the form shown in Fig. 4 I have provided a filter 26 in the neck of the hub to prevent any glass from reaching the needle. This would do away with the necessity for covering the individual capsule.

In the form shown in Pig. 5 I have furnished a bead 28 which extends inwardly from the wall of the syringe to prevent movement of the capsule within the barrel.

It will be appreciated that other modifications may be made without departing from the spirit of my invention and that the main consideration is to furnish a relatively inexpensive, disposable syringe which may be delivered in completely sterile condition and which is adapted to deliver a fresh solution at the time of use.

I claim:

1. A hypodermic syringe unit comprising: a compressible barrel member formed with a chamber having an ingredient therein and with a dispensing aperture communicating with the chamber; a capsule containing a second ingredient to be mixed with the first ingredient disposed in said chamber and occupying only a portion of the space of the chamber, said capsule being impervious to either of the aforesaid ingredients but being frangible under manual pressure whereby the capsule can be broken to mix the ingredients; and a filter positioned between the capsule and the dispensing outlet to protect the outlet from broken fragments of the capsule.

2. A hypodermic syringe unit as set forth in claim 1 in which the filter is a fabric casing disposed completely around the capsule.

3. A hypodermic syringe unit as set forth in claim 1 in which the filter is a porous member disposed across the dispensing aperture.

4. A hypodermic syringe unit as set forth in claim 1 in which one of the ingredients is an active medicament and the other is a solvent.

5. A hypodermic syringe unit as set forth in claim 1 in which a hypodermic needle is mounted in said dispensing outlet and projects outwardly from the barrel and a protective tubular cap closed at the outer end is fitted over the needle, the cap being formed with a con;-

stricted portion tightly engaging all sides of the needle to form sealing engagement therewith.

6. A hypodermic syringe unit as set forth in claim 1 in which the barrel is formed with a needle supporting hub =and'the dispensing aperture projects therethrough and a hypodermic needle is mounted in the aperture in' the hub so as toproject from the barrel, said hub having a portion of reduced diameter so as to tightly embrace said needle to form sealing engagement therewith and to position the needle and hold it in place.

7. A hypodermic syringe unit as set forth in claim 1 in which the barrel is formed with means projecting into the chamber and serving to confine the capsule to one portion of the chamber.

8. A hypodermic syringe comprising a compressible barrel member made of resilient plastic material and formed with a chamber therein and with an integral needle hub made of the same material and having a dispensing aperture projecting therethrough and communicating at its inner end with said chamber and a hypodermic needle mounted in the aperture in the hub so as to project from the barrel, said hub having a portion of reduced diameter which is relatively more constricted and compressed than the remaining portion so as to tightly embrace all sides of said needle to form sealing engagement therewith and to position it and hold it in place.

9. A hypodermic syringe as set forth in claim 8 in which a protective cap made of resilient, impervious material and closed at its outer end is fitted over the needle and is provided with a portion having sealing engagement with the needle hub and another portion which is constricted and tightly engages all sides of the needle to form sealing engagement therewith.

10. A hypodermic assembly comprising: a barrel memper formed with a chamber therein and a dispensing protective tubular cap closed at its outer end and made of a resilient impervious material fitted over the needle, said cap having a bore whose diameter for the major portion thereof is greater than the external diameter of the hypodermic needle with a. restricted minor portion whose diameter is less than the external diameter of the needle embracing the needle immediately adjacent but spaced from the outer end thereof so as to form sealing engagement with the needle and the material of the cap at such restricted portion being relatively more compressed, the bore of said cap beyond the restricted portion being of greater diameter than the restricted portion and serving as a chamber to house the end of the needle.

11. A hypodermic assembly as set forth in claim 10 in which a needle hub having an external sealing surface and through which the dispensing aperture extends is provided at the end of the barrel and in which the protective tubular cap has an inner end portion forming sealing engagement with the sealing surface of the needle hub.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Germany Aug. 2, 1951 

